Leaves from the Vine: A story of Iroh
by Dr. Jackstraw
Summary: A story that further explores the relationship between Iroh and Lu Ten and Iroh's journey into the spirit world.
1. The Little Soldier Boy

Chapter 1: The Little Soldier Boy

"And as you can see," said the soldier to the dozen or so others in the war room, "the position illustrated here-" he pointed to his map- "will give us a vast tactical advantage. This will allow us to-"

A small form appeared silhouetted against the war room door. The soldier stopped his presentation. All those assembled were silent.

"Daddy?" the child said, his voice trembling.

The general pushed his chair away from the table and stood. "Please excuse me, gentlemen. An urgent matter has been brought to my attention."

"General Iroh," protested a soldier, "the war-"

"This," said the general, firmly, "is more important than any war could ever be." Scooping the child up in his arms, he exited.

"He gives that boy entirely too much attention," grumbled the soldier who had been presenting his strategy.

"You would too," replied another man at the table. "Ever since the general's wife passed on, that boy is all he's got."

"What's wrong, Lu Ten, my child?" Iroh asked his tearful and trembling son as they walked down the hall.

"A... a d-dream," sobbed the boy.

"Ah," said the general, nodding sagely. "Well, my son, I will tuck you back into bed, and together we will see if we can chase those nightmares away." Iroh growled ferociously, making Lu Ten laugh in spite of himself. "Do you think we can do that?"

"Grrr," replied Lu Ten.

"Oh, stop it," Iroh said in mock alarm. "You're scaring me!"

Iroh lit a lantern as they entered Lu Ten's bedroom, and placed his son gently on the bed, pulling the covers over him.

"Now, let me here you growl again," said the general. Lu Ten obliged. Iroh nodded. "Yes, a nightmare wouldn't dare show his face around such a fearsome beast." Lu Ten giggled. The general brushed a lock of hair from his son's forehead."

"Sing daddy," said Lu Ten, settling deeper into his pillows. "Please."

"Leaves from the vine, falling so slow, like fragile, tiny shells drifting in the foam. Little soldier boy, come marching home... Brave soldier boy, comes marching home."

Lu Ten was now asleep.

"Again," demanded the child, his eyes closed.

Well, not quite. So the Dragon of the West sang, and his son, eventually, slept.


	2. It's a Long Long Way to Ba Sing Se

Author's Note: I hope the last chapter didn't come across as too sappy. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 2: It's a Long Long Way to Ba Sing Se

"It's a long, long way to Ba Sing Se, but the girls in the city, they look so pretty..." Iroh sang softly as he placed the kettle on the fire. "And they kiss so sweet, you really got to meet the girls from Ba Sing Se..."

It was a foolish song to sing now, the general supposed. It was not a long, long way to Ba Sing Se; as a matter of fact, they had succeeded in breaching the outer wall this afternoon. But the tune was pleasant, and it reminded Iroh of the early days of the campaign. His men had sung it as they marched, day after day.

The journey to the Earth Kingdom capital _had_ been a long one, and the siege had been long as well. The men seldom sang now, and when they did it was always a song from home. But they were finally being rewarded for their efforts. Impenetrable City had proven to be a misnomer, and the Fire Nation finally had a foothold for their invasion. The general could not help but smile as he poured tea for himself and the captain. He placed the cups on the table.

"To victory," said Iroh, and drank slowly, savoring the taste. The captain downed his cup quickly.

"We could never have done it without your superior leadership, General," said the captain. "It is a pity that so many Earth Kingdom lives had to be lost before we made it through. Why can't they realize that submitting to Fire Nation rule will bring the ultimate prosperity for their land?"

"Good question," said Iroh, examining the knife the Earth Kingdom general had presented to him upon surrendering. He placed it on the table, so that the captain could see the inscription: Never give up without a fight. "These Earth Benders are stubborn, like their element. We cannot hold the fact that they are ignorant of the joy that the Fire Nation will bring their land against them. More tea?"

"They will soon be cured of such notions, regardless," the captain said, handing Iroh his cup. "And once Ba Sing Se is ours, the rest of the Earth Kingdom will soon follow."

"And then," said Iroh, "I can go back home, and I can play Pai Sho every day!" He chuckled warmly. "I am glad my son is finally old enough to serve in the military. It always pained me greatly to leave him behind. Now, he is serving under me in the fourth division." He took the letter his boy had sent him from his desk and showed it to the captain.

_General Iroh, _the letter read, _I will see you again when victory is obtained. Your loyal son, Lu Ten._

"You must be proud, General Iroh. Lu Ten has proven himself to be a very capable soldier."

"So proud," said Iroh. "So proud to see my son helping the Fire Nation to unite the world under one banner, and usher in an age of lasting peace." He picked up the dagger from the table and examined it once again. "You know, captain, the general wept when he surrendered to me. My heart ached for him." He took a sip of tea. "But," said Iroh triumphantly, "he will weep tears of joy once he sees how much greater the Fire Nation will make this city!" Iroh filled both cups of tea again.

"To the fire nation!" said the general. Both men drank deeply.

* * *

><p>Iroh sat in his tent, pouring over the reports the messenger hawks brought him from the front line. His men were making short work of the city's lower ring. Tomorrow would be the siege's six-hundredth day, and at the rate things were going, it might very well be its last. Iroh brought his teacup to his lips.<p>

Suddenly, a soldier burst into the tent. "General Iroh! The fourth division has been ambushed and are being massacred! They have requested our immediate help!"

Two syllables were the only thought in Iroh's mind: _Lu Ten._ The general threw his teacup to the ground, shattering it.

"We have no time to waste," said the Dragon of the West.

* * *

><p>The general and his forces traveled as quickly as they could; however, since dragons were no longer used in military matters, the Fire Nation army was not noted for being particularly swift on land. Iroh himself road at their head, spurring his rhino, continually urging it to go faster. In his mind's eye he saw only one thing: his son's face.<p>

He saw it as it was now, handsome, strong, so different from the little boy he had once rocked in his arms and sang to sleep. So different from the crying baby who had come into the world even as his mother departed it. So different from the child who had so often chased him up the hill at home in a game of war, inevitably pouncing on his father and collapsing into a fit of giggles in the grass. The face of his beloved Lu Ten.

He urged his komodo rhino further on, and the beast clambered onto a fallen pillar, and there, in front of Iroh and his forces, were the Fire Nation soldiers, in the midst of at least one hundred Earthbenders. Countless bodies lay crushed beneath a massive boulder. Those who remained showed no sign of stopping their fight, but being so vastly outnumbered, they would not last long without aid.

The human mind is a cruel thing. It is not content to leave a tragedy where it happened. It will carry it, perhaps forever, turning the tragedy over and over, examining it from every angle, wondering what could have been done differently, if such a thing could have been prevented. Iroh would often remember this day, wondering if just one action would have prevented what happened next. But the Fates are cruel.

Just as the rhino made it over the pillar, sixth Earthbenders raised another gargantuan boulder from the ground, moving it overtop of a Fire Nation soldier engaged in battle. Iroh saw his son turn, see the boulder, and then, with a cry, push the other soldier out of its path. The boulder dropped, crushing Lu Ten, and crushing Iroh's heart. Their eyes met, even as the light in them was extinguished.

It all happened in an instant. There was no time for anyone to do anything.

With an inhuman roar, Iroh leaped from the back of the rhino, flames billowing from every inch of his skin. With a ferocious spinning kick, he sent an arc of white flame cutting through the flesh of the six Earthbenders who had dropped the boulder. They died instantly.

"Lord Agni," murmured the captain as he watched the scene from atop the pillar. "Get out of the way!" he called urgently to the few remaining Firebenders.

Iroh took no notice of the captain or anyone else. One by one, every Earthbender was engulfed in flame, begging for mercy as they were devoured by the might of the Dragon of the West.


	3. The Sun Shines Bright

Chapter 3: The Sun Shines Bright in my Fire Nation Home

They had only been able to recover a few bodies before the Earth Kingdom forces began pressing in on them in earnest, alert of a strange breakdown in their enemy's leadership. There would be no time for the traditional funeral rites; the bodies had all been placed on a hastily constructed pyre, ready for cremation. The service was going to be short. The Fire chaplain stepped forward.

Those assembled watched as the chaplain circled the pyre, touching each corpse in turn, reciting the men's names and those of their immediate family.

"Deshi, son of Chang and An. Heng, son of Lee and Kuan. Kuzon, son of Heng and Yun. Brother of Ha Kyung. Chao, son of Chow and Xia He. Husband of Tien-Mu. Father of Mushi." That last man had been slightly older than the others.

The chaplain continued walking around the pyre, eventually coming to General Iroh's son. He glanced at the general, hesitantly, and found him staring blankly at the ground. Since his son's death, the general had been heard to say two words: "I'm tired." The chaplain continued.

"Lu Ten," he said as he laid hands on the body, "son of Iroh and-"

At the sound of his son's name, General Iroh looked up for the first time since the ceremony had began. His ears were deaf to the chaplain's words. He took notice only of the funeral pyre, and slowly he became aware that every body on the pyre was that of his son.

_Father_, a voice whispered in his ear. Iroh began to tremble.

"And now," the chaplain continued, "we lay these souls to rest." Two firebenders stepped forward, ready to light the pyre.

_Father._

"No!" Iroh ran forward, knocking the pyre over. He picked up one of the bodies, cradling it in his arms. "Don't burn my son!" he sobbed. "Don't burn my son, you savages!"

"General Iroh," a soldier began, but was silenced by the chaplain.

The general's body was wracked by sobs, and a tear trickled down his cheek and into the face of the corpse. Iroh blinked.

This was not his son at all.

Still cradling the corpse, he looked at the assembled men. There was no need for words from any of them; he saw everything he needed to know in their eyes.

"Colonel," he said, barely audible.

"Yes, General Iroh?" said the colonel, no discernible emotion in his voice.

"Send word to the other divisions. We are going home."

* * *

><p>"General Iroh," said the colonel, looking across the tent to the general, "I beg you to reconsider!"<p>

Iroh said nothing.

"Truly, the recent casualties have been lamentable, but it is utter folly to return home now, when we are so close to our goal!"

Iroh remained silent for a long time. Then, he took out a letter and placed it on the table. On the paper was a portrait of the general's son.

"We used to play war, you know," said Iroh. "When he was a little boy. It was his favorite game. All he ever wanted to do, growing up, was to join the army and serve the Fire Nation. And, when the time came, I thought that was what I was helping him to do. But I was only playing war with him again." Iroh looked the colonel in the eye. "That's all any of us are doing, colonel: playing war. This is all a game! Only this game has cost my son his life."

"General, what you're saying is madness! I realize you're upset, but-"

Iroh slammed his fist on the table. "Madness? This war is madness! How many more soldiers are going to die for my grandfather's stupid game? How many citizens? How many mothers will have to be told that their son will never be coming home again? It's over, colonel. At least for me."

"General Iroh, please, think about this! Have some tea and consider what you're doing!" The colonel places the teapot and two cups on the table. Iroh took one look at the tea set, and smashed it without hesitation.

"You think, colonel. The men are tired. I am tired. You are tired as well, though you will not admit it. The myth of the world being illuminated by the conquest of the Fire Nation is crumbling. We are going home."


	4. The White Lotus

Chapter 4: The White Lotus

Looking back, he could never fully remember the journey back to the Fire Nation, or the days immediately following his return. He did, however, remember the first time he saw his brother's face staring down on him from the side of a building.

Iroh beckoned to an old man passing by. "I beg your pardon, but can tell me who that-" he pointed to the posted of Ozai, "is?"

The old man looked at him with wide eyes. "Lord Agni, hotman! Can it be that ye dinnae recognize th' face o' Firelord Ozai?"

"_Firelord_ Ozai?" Iroh said. "Forgive me, I have been away for some time. What has happened to Firelord Azulon?"

"Ach! Ye be puttin' me on, hotman! How can it be that ye dinnae know that th' old Firelord has gone on to his eternal reward!"

"Azulon is... dead?"

"Aye. Died on th' same night that Firelady Ursa disappeared, an' wi' his dyin' breath declared that Ozai was to be his replacement, instead o' the fuddled Iroh. Very queer, it was."

"Thank you," said Iroh, absently. The old man hobbled away, muttering something about the apathetic younger generation.

Iroh stared at the poster of his brother for some time, and then tore his gaze away, turning his eyes toward the palace. After a moment's hesitation, he turned and walked in the opposite direction.

No particular destination in mind, he plodded down the street, much to the consternation of those who fell behind him.

"Get a move on, grandpa!" said a merchant as he wheeled his cart around Iroh. "This is a busy road!"

"I'm sorry," said the general, meekly. "Please excuse me." He turned and bowed. The merchant was long gone.

Sighing and stepping slightly out of the road, Iroh examined his surroundings. The passerby took no notice of him. Across the street, a sign painted with a picture of a White Lotus flower hung from a building. Looking both ways, he crossed and entered the tavern.

The interior was dim, lit only by a few candles placed haphazardly throughout the place. A short, middle-aged man with an impressive mustache stood behind the bar, polishing it with a rag and singing softly. Other than the bartender, the only other people within were an old man dozing behind a Pai Sho board in the corner and a rather plump female with 5 empty glasses in front of her. The woman stared dreamily at Iroh as he stepped further inside.

"What'll it be, stranger?" said the bartender, looking up from his polishing.

"Jasmine tea?" said Iroh hopefully. The bartender burst out laughing.

"Jasmine tea! If you want Jasmine tea, go down to the Tea Weevil! In the White Lotus tavern, we pour-" he sat a bottle and glass on the table- "firewater."

"That then," said Iroh, laying his money down and taking the firewater.

"Look on the bright side, friend," called the bartender as Iroh sauntered toward a table. "That tea wouldn't have taken that frown off your face! That firewater will make you forget you _have_ a face!"

"Hey, quit all that yellin'!" The old man at the Pai Sho table had awakened. "I'm tryin' to concentrate on m' next move! How do you expect me to beat this gentleman?" He gestured to the empty chair across from him. He blinked.

"Huh?" grunted the old man. "Where'd he go?" The bartender and the fat woman laughed uproariously.

"Crazy old man!" said the fat woman. She turned her gaze on Iroh once again and whistled lewdly. "Why don'tcha come sit with me, handsome?" She picked up another glass and drained it.

Iroh, doing his best to ignore that advances of the fleshy female, walked to the Pai Sho table. At last, something familiar.

"May I have this game?" asked Iroh.

The old man nodded. "Might as well. Ain't no one else around to play with. The other two cheat." He spat on the floor.

"Making moves while you're sleeping isn't cheating, Rutherford!" jeered the bartender. The fat woman winked at him.

Rutherford scowled. "Well, that don't make no nevermind," he said. "Take a seat, stranger." He cleared the board. Iroh sat.

Iroh briefly considered his tiles, thinking of a strategy he had learned long ago, and, remembering the tavern's name, made his decision. He placed the White Lotus tile on the board.

Rutherford scratched at his stubbly chin. "I see you favor the White Lotus gambit," said the old man, his tone conspiratory. "Not many still cling to the old ways."

"I was taught to play long ago," said Iroh. "And in unusual circumstances."

The old man frowned, as if Iroh has given the wrong answer. He placed his own tile. "What sort of circumstances?"

Iroh shook his head. "It's of no importance," he said, sipping the firewater. He grimaced at the taste, but drank it down. He layed another tile on the board.

"Careful with that stuff," said Rutherford. "You'll end up with a real case of dragon breath. Literally!" The old man captured one of Iroh's pieces. "Your heart ain't in this game, son. What ails you?"

Iroh sighed. "You don't want to hear my troubles."

"I wouldn't ask if I didn't. I can tell you ain't in your right mind."

Iroh avoided the man's gaze. He took another drink of the firewater. He covered his face partially with one hand.

"I have been away from home for a very long time," Iroh said finally. "And now, at last, I've returned. But without my son. My son can never come home."

Rutherford's grizzled features softened. Reaching out, he touched the back of Iroh's hand. The general jerked away, and rubbed vigorously at his eyes. He turned his back on the old man.

"I know what it's like," said the old man, after a long silence, "losin' a child. I lost both my girls to the pox, some fifty year ago. There are no words for it. Why, if I could have, I would've gone into the Spirit World after them. But let me tell you-"

Iroh turned around, eyes blazing. "What did you say?"

"I said if I could've, I would have gone into the Spirit World-"

"That's it!" cried Iroh.

Rutherford eyed him warily. "What's it?"

Iroh almost didn't dare to say it. Then, a voice whispered in his ear, once again.

_Father._

"I," said the general, slowly, "am going into the Spirit World."

"That were but a figure of speech, son! Go into the Spirit World, why, it ain't possible!"

"The Avatar has done it," said Iroh. "And so, if the legends are true, may an ordinary man, if he is near a spiritual place on the solstice."

"A spiritual place?" chimed in the drunken fat lady. "I know a spiritual place! A very spiritual place! The city was practically built around this place!" She collapsed on her table.

"You will not change your mind," said the old man. It was not a question. Rutherford regarded Iroh shrewdly across the table. At last, he nodded. The old man's tone changed.

"If your mind is truly made up, then leave this place now, and return on the solstice. We will lead you to a place of crossing between the two worlds." He rose and bowed. "Until then, General Iroh."

Iroh was dumbfounded. "How-" he began.

"Did I know who you were? Do you think I would not recognize the crown prince of the Fire Nation?"

"Nobody else did." The general stood.

"Perhaps nobody else had their eyes open," said Rutherford as he ushered Iroh out the door. "Until the solstice, General Iroh."

Closing the door, Rutherford hobbled back to his table. The fat woman instantly rose from her apparent drunken stupor, and the bartender ceased his singing and polishing.

"Do you think he's one of us?" asked the fat lady.

"No," said the bartender. "He gave the wrong response to Rutherford."

"But he played the White Lotus gambit." The fat lady pointed the Pai Sho board. "I am puzzled by this."

Rutherford studied the board. "Clearly, one of the Order taught him. Who, I do not know, but why is evident." He cleared the board. "He has great potential, but I sense a great struggle within him between hope and despair. This turmoil threatens to destroy him."

"What will he find in the Spirit World, Rutherford?" asked the fat lady.

"His destiny."


	5. That Same Spirit

Author's Note: It's about to get weird. (Thanks to everyone who has been reading.)

Chapter 5: That Same Spirit, or, Spirited Away

On the day of the summer solstice, the owner, proprieter, and bartender of the White Lotus tavern sat at a table, watching a spirited game of Pai Sho between his his two best (and lately, only) customers. The lack of patronage may have been explained by the 'Closed for refurbishing' sign on the door. It mattered little. Typically, his establishment appealed only to a select few. His thoughts returned to his patrons' conversation.

"And then they made me their chief," said Rutherford, capturing one of the fat lady's tiles. The fat lady snorted.

"You've told me that story at least one hundred time, old man, and even if you tell it 100 more I still won't believe it."

There was a knock at the door.

"Act natural," muttered the bartender as he walked to the door. The old man began to store. The fat lady knocked back a tall glass of something. The bartender opened the door, just enough to allow a small rectangle of sunlight into the room.

"Can't you read the sign?" said the bartender gruffly. "We're closed."

"Stop playing games," said the voice. "It is the solstice. I have come, as I was instructed."

"Enter, General Iroh," said the bartender, stepping aside and opening the door.

As the general entered the tavern, the old man stopped snoring and sat up straight, and the woman became instantly sober. Together they rose from their seats and stood next to the bartender. Iroh stood before them.

"General Iroh," said the woman. "You have been called here today because we have deemed you worth assisting in your quest to enter the Spirit World. Today, you will witness things that have remained secret for generations. As such, you must swear never to reveal them to anyone."

"I swear," said Iroh.

"The Spirit World is a dangerous place," said Rutherford. "And its inhabitants are wild and unpredictable. You may never return."

Iroh laughed harshly. "So be it. I am dead to the world. I will either bring my Lu Ten back, or join him there forever, and I do not much care which it is."

The old man said nothing, only nodded to the bartender, who stepped behind the bar and activated a hidden switch. A section of the tavern's back wall swung open, revealing a staircase.

"There's no turning back from here on out," said the bartender. He began to descend the steps, the others following. Iroh also followed, without hesitation.

They lead him down the stairs until they came to a small, circular room, constructed from stone. A white lotus was painted on the floor, and light came from two green gems set in the walls. An archway was carved into the stone opposite the staircase, with two more on either side of it.

"You will have to wear this," said the bartender, bringing forth a strip of black cloth.

Iroh was blindfolded and spun three times. After this, one of the three took him by the hand and lead him forward.

They walked for some time, and Iroh was aware that by now they must have been deep underground. The air was growing gradually colder. The path was rocky, and more than once he almost slipped on a loose stone. There must have been many turns, for his attendants were continually steering him in a new direction.

"These tunnels must have taken years to construct," said Iroh, thinking aloud.

"Actually," said the fat lady, "they were built in just under a month by Earthbenders."

"Earthbenders?" wondered Iroh.

"My establishment appeals to an international crowd," said the bartender. "Has for some time. These passages were constructed by friends of the White Lotus; quite a motley crew. The government knows nothing about them."

They continued their descent, and Iroh began to hear a far off roar.

"What is that noise?" asked Iroh.

"We would not wish to spoil the surprise," said Rutherford. The humor was lost on Iroh.

They spent the remainder of their journey in silence, the roar growing louder with each step. Down, down, down they went, until the ground began to level out. At last, they came to a place where the roar was nearly deafening. A hand touched Iroh's shoulder, stopping him from walking on, and the blindfold was removed. It took his eyes a moment to adjust. When they did, he gasped.

They stood in a magnificent cavern, its ceiling so far above their heads that Iroh could not clearly see it. The cave was illuminated by more of the strange glowing crystals, which shed light on the source of the roar.

It was a waterfall, originating somewhere far within the earth and throwing itself down over the cavern wall into the pool below, glittering and splashing feverishly, throwing up mist. The troubled waters of the pool flowed into a river running through the middle of the cave floor.

Down from the wall opposite the waterfall poured another river, this one flowing with burning lava. The lava continually flowed into the water, each meeting with a fearsome hiss, and where the two met, an island of rock was being formed, growing higher and higher with each passing moment.

"It is said," said the bartender, raising his voice above the roar, "that this cavern was created by two spirits, who continually battle one another. The veil between the material world and the Spirit World is thin here, especially today, and a man may cross from one to the other if he knows how. Sit, General Iroh."

Iroh did as he was instructed, sitting in the lotus position on the bank of the two rivers. He focused his gaze on the rock island.

"Observe the two rivers," the bartender continued. "One of fire, the other of water. Two opposites coming together to create a glorious new whole. The same is true of the energy that surrounds us. Positive energy and negative energy. Yin and Yang. It exists not only around us but within us, and one cannot exist without the other. In the time before time, it was this energy we bent, not the four elements."

"Breathe deeply," Rutherford instructed.

The bartender went on. "The apparent contradiction is a meaningless one. There are no opposites, merely different parts of one whole. This is reflected in both the universe and the human body. Life and death, fire and water, spirit and matter; all these exist because of each other. Compose the energy within yourself. Let one thing become its opposite. Time and death are only illusions."

The bartender continued, but Iroh could no longer hear him. He saw the rivers and the island, but now he could not tell which river was on the left and which was on the right. They seemed to keep changing positions.

_Impossible. (Not quite.)_

Iroh breathed deeply, and then the rivers began spiraling into each other. Now there were no rivers at all, but a giant Yin Yang symbol in the floor of the cave. He closed his eyes.

_"I've got you dad!"_

_ Lu Ten chased him up the hill, finally catching up and pretending to Firebend. Groaning in mock agony, Iroh fell to the ground. His son pounced on him, and both laughed merrily. Lu Ten rolled onto his back in the grass._

_ "Dad?" said Lu Ten as he gazed at the clouds._

_ "Yes, Lu Ten?"_

_ "When I grow up, I wanna be in the army like you."_

_ "By the time you're old enough, you may have changed your mind. I wanted to be a chef when I was your age."_

_ "Change my mind? Never!" Lu Ten protested. "I wanna fight for the Fire Nation and make you proud."_

_ "You already make me proud," said Iroh, taking his son by the hand. Then there were no more words, and father and son were content to watch the clouds go by, together._

Iroh opened his eyes. The cave and the others were gone. Now he sat in on a wide, flat plain of black rock. Mist covered the ground, and the entire place was illuminated by a strange dim light.

"The Spirit World," gasped Iroh.

Then he saw the dragons.


	6. Missed Deadlines

Author's Note: I apologize for taking so long to update. I've been rather busy and my power was out most of the day today. Thanks to everyone who has been reading. Sorry this chapter is so short.

Chapter 6: Missed Deadlines

They were easily the biggest animals Iroh had ever seen, their serpentine bodies twisting out behind them for hundreds of feet. Their scales glimmered fiercely, one a magnificent crimson, the other the deep blue-green of the sea. Their whiskered faces were fearsome and wild, fixed in a grin that revealed many sharp teeth. The wind from their wings was enough to knock a man over. They faced each other with the gaze of a maniac and roared savagely.

Iroh was sitting right between them.

The beasts roared once again, and Iroh realized that his trip to the Spirit World would be a short on eindeed if he did not move quickly. He sprang to his feet and leaped forward, landing painfully on his stomach, and then he felt the heat and heard the roar of the dragons attacking each other with their breath weapons.

Once he had scuttled what he believed to be a safe distance away, Iroh could not resist looking back. He turned to see the dragons fighting and gasped.

In the Spirit World, one sees, at times, with a kind of double vision. Here Iroh saw two massive dragons, one blue and one red, breathing fire at each other, each one's flame the color of its hide. But he also saw two rivers, one of fire and one of water, flowing into each other, meeting with a hiss as fierce as a dragon's roar.

A glowing ball of light floated through the mist, passing by Iroh's head.

"I would go now, if I were you," said a voice. "The dragons will ignore you, but they won't stop their fight, and you wouldn't want to get caught between them."

Iroh agreed with that analysis and made haste to remove himself from the scene. After some time, he cast a glance over his shoulder. He could still see the dragons, lashing out at each other with the coils of their serpentine bodies. He shuddered.

He was not in the Fire Nation anymore.

* * *

><p>Iroh was afraid.<p>

This was, under the circumstances, perfectly understandable. The Spirit World seemed to follow no rules whatsoever. Landmarks disappeared without warning and were sometimes replaced out of nowhere by entirely new geography. And although he had seen no more spirits since the dragons, he constantly felt as if he was being watched. Worst of all, he now realized he had no idea how to find Lu Ten.

He wasn't sure what he'd thought the Spirit World would be like, but he had definitely not imagined it to be so chaotic. Sometimes, he had even thought Lu Ten might be waiting for him. But this place was at once too similar to the physical world and not similar enough. He was wandering aimlessly.

He walked on, unsure whether he was moving forward or if the ground was moving underneath him. Eventually he came to a small grove of tall black trees. Again, he sensed a pair of unseen eyes watching him. He cast a glance over his shoulder. Seeing no one, he took a step forward and cried out when a jet of flame erupted from the ground. He stumbled back, only to stumble forward again when another column of flame sprang up, and came face to face with a human being.

He was a tall man with long white hair and a long white beard. He was clad in Fire Nation robes and wore a headpiece in the shape of two flames around his topknot. Despite his age, he stood straight, with confidence.

"Greetings, Iroh," he said. "I am Avatar Roku."


	7. Aye Aye, Kappa!

Chapter 7: Aye Aye, Kappa!

Iroh was silent for a long time.

"Have you not heard of me?" asked Roku.

"Oh, I've heard of you," said Iroh, suddenly hostile. He took a Firebending stance. "You were a traitor to the Fire Nation! My grandfather Sozin executed you for your crimes!"

Roku did not move or even alter his expression; he simply looked at Iroh.

"Do you really believe that?" he asked finally.

Iroh's eyes darted to the side and back again. He sighed, and dropped out of his Firebending stance. He shook his head, staring at the ground.

"I don't know what to believe. I don't even know if I believe in the Fire Nation anymore." He was silent for a moment.

"I believe my grandfather was a wicked man," he said finally.

The Avatar placed a hand on Iroh's shoulder. "Your grandfather's capacity for good was as great as his capacity for evil, and I do not regret calling him my friend. I-"

"You and my grandfather were... friends?" exclaimed Iroh.

"Best friends," said Roku. His eyes took on a faraway look. "And as I said, I do not regret our friendship. I only wish that I had been a better influence on him. Perhaps then he would not have chosen such a dark path. Sometimes I wonder if it was my..." He shook his head abruptly. "But I am not here to talk about myself. I've come to ask you, General Iroh, why you have come to the Spirit World."

"You must know by now," said Iroh. "It was you watching me this whole time, wasn't it?" Roku was silent.

"Well, Avatar Roku," Iroh continued, "I have come to the Spirit World to find my son. My Lu Ten, who died because of foolishness. My foolishness, my grandfather's, and the Fire Nation's."

"Your son's death was a tragedy, Iroh," said Roku, "but he cannot return to life again. Return to the physical world, where you can learn to deal with your grief."

"If my son cannot return to life, then I will join him here," said Iroh softly. He did not meet the Avatar's eyes.

"That cannot be!" cried Roku. "Such a thing would be a mockery of the natural order!"

Iroh took a Firebending stance. "How can you know what it's like? Get out of my way!"

"You dare to threaten me? I have master all four elements a thousand times in a thousand lives! I would make short work of you, Iroh."

"If I have to fight you, I will," said Iroh. "You don't understand! I will do whatever it takes to see my son!"

A single tear slid down Iroh's cheek. After a long pause, Roku sighed.

"Perhaps," said the Avatar, "I understand better than you think I do." He passed a hand over his face, suddenly looking weary. "You can relax, General. There will be no fighting.

"If you want to find your son, follow the flames until you come to the river. There, you will meet someone who will guide you."

"Can't you come with me?" asked Iroh.

"I do not dare. I'm afraid that my involvement has complicated matters too much already. Go, and always be on guard. The spirits are dangerous."

Iroh bowed. "Thank you, Avatar."

"You may not have anything to thank me for," said Roku, returning the bow. "Nevertheless, good luck."

Avatar Roku watched as the general walked away, and thoughtfully stroked his beard.

"Perhaps," mused the Avatar, "I should have told him that there's no bending here."

* * *

><p>During the journey to the river, Iroh finally began to see more spirits. Well, he assumed they were spirits. Most took the form of animals (a fat panda bear gorging himself on bamboo came to mind), and there seemed to be more of them the further he went. He had tried to engage a few in conversation, but they took little interest in him. He walked on, wondering how he would recognize Roku's promised guide.<p>

At last, he made it through the trees of the flame forest and caught his first glimpse of the river, which, for a spirit river, was entirely unremarkable. It was simply a muddy river with muddy banks. A few animals bent to drink there.

"Hello?" said Iroh self-consciously. "Er, are any of you my guide?"

The animals said nothing. A turtleduck and its young waddled up the bank.

"Um, the Avatar said that I was supposed to find a guide here. Please, I-"

There was a loud whinny, and the assembled animals scattered as a wild-eyed Ostrich Horse splashed frantically into the water. The beast trotted madly back and forth, screamed again, and then Iroh realized that the animal bore a creature on its back.

It was small, about the size of a five-year-old child, and it stank of rotting fish. It looked almost exactly like a monkey, but instead of fur, it was covered in green fish scales. It climbed forward onto the Ostrich Horse's neck, and Iroh saw that its hands and feet were webbed, and that there was a tortoise shell on its back.

The creature ripped a handful of feathers from the Ostrich Horse, and it again whinnied in pain. The fish-monkey climbed further up the poor animal's neck, putting it's weight on the head. It was trying to drown it.

"Stop!" cried Iroh, moved with pity for the beast. He snatched up a fallen branch. "Stop, or you'll be sorry!"

The creature looked at him, still hanging from the Ostrich Horse's neck. It blinked, slowly, then tumbled off into the water. It stood and slapped the animal on the hindquarters.

"Get out of here!" it barked. The animal was happy to oblige.

"You spoke!" Iroh exclaimed.

"Of course I spoke, sir," said the creature. "I am not an animal. I am in fact quite articulate."

Iroh stood speechless. He had not reckoned this monster capable of conversation, and had definitely not expected it to be so polite. Eventually, he found his voice again.

"Why were you tormenting that poor animal?" he asked the creature. It yawned.

"I was bored, sir," it replied. "And I was hungry. I am still hungry." The creature leered at Iroh, and put out its tongue. It laid on its belly in the water and crawled a little closer to where Iroh stood on the riverbank. Now that he could see it more clearly, the general noticed a depression on top of the creature's head, a round, saucerlike hollow. The thing submerged itself briefly, and when it resurfaced the hollow was filled with muddy river water.

"Pardon my saying so, sir," rasped the monster, "but you look delicious." It grinned, revealing a mouth full of sharp teeth.

"Delicious?" said Iroh.

"Oh yes, sir," said the creature, crawling out onto the bank. "Quite delicious. It's been so long since I've tasted human flesh, or sank my teeth into a healthy liver. So long since I felt the sweet, sweet blood trickle down my throat. So _long."_ It stood. "Why, the only thing I'd like better now, sir, is... a cucumber."

Faced with that absurd statement, Iroh could not control himself. He laughed out loud. The creature's eyes narrowed.

"It is very rude to laugh at someone," said the monster.

It was also very rude, Iroh thought, to threaten to eat someone, but he didn't say this. He cleared his throat.

"I am one of the most powerful benders in all of the Fire Nation, little scaly thing. I wouldn't threaten me if I were you."

It was the creature's turn to laugh, a sound like the river lapping at its banks.

"Forgive me, sir," it said. "In your world, I have no doubt that you would be a formidable foe. But in the Spirit World, you are as vulnerable as a baby. Go on, sir, try to Firebend."

"You asked for it," said Iroh, and spun his foot in a wide arc. Nothing. Iroh's blood ran cold, and the creature stepped closer.

"So you see," it said. "Now, I wouldn't try to run, sir. I am very fast." It snatched a fly from the air.

"Can I die in this world?" wondered Iroh.

"Who knows?" replied the creature, licking his lips. "Death is only an illusion."

"Very well then," said Iroh. He thought of Lu Ten, and vaguely of a Second Spirit World, if there was such a thing. "I accept my fate."

He bowed. To his surprise, so did the monster, and as it did, water spilled from the hollow on its head.

"I wish you wouldn't do that, sir," said the creature politely.

Curiously, Iroh bowed again. "Why?" he asked.

"Because," said the fish-monkey as it returned the bow, "when I bow, the water spills from my head, and without it, sir, I cannot move."

"Then why do you keep doing it?" Bow.

"It is very rude not to return a bow," said the creature, bowing again. A note of panic crept into its voice. "Please, sir, stop this and I will do whatever you ask of me."

Again, Iroh laughed. "What could you do for me?"

"We kappa possess vast knowledge. I am sure I could be of service in some way."

Iroh bowed once more, and reluctantly so did the kappa, spilling the last of its water. It remained as it was, unable to straighten its back.

"Oh drat!" cried the kappa. "Excuse the language, sir."

"Now that you're immobile, we'll negotiate," said Iroh. "Swear to guide me through the Spirit World for as long as I need you, and I will give you some more water."

"I swear, I swear! Just don't leave me stranded here, sir! I swear it a thousand times!"

Satisfied, Iroh went down to the river, scooped up some of the muddy water in his hands and poured it into the depression in the kappa's head. Immediately, the creature straightened.

"You'll forgive me for not bowing, master, but thank you all the same. Where are we headed?"

Iroh stroked his beard. "You know," he said, "I half expected you to kill me as soon as you got your water back."

The kappa gave him a stern look.

"It is very rude," it said, "to break one's word. Now where to, sir?"


	8. Up in Smoke

Chapter 8: Up in Smoke, or, Something Completely Different

As General Iroh walked through the palace garden on a splendid summer day, humming a jaunty tune entitle 'Fire Nation Girls are Mighty Hot' to himself and feeling generally fine, he suddenly heard a noise.

"Aw man! I'll never get it right!" cried a voice he instantly recognized.

Iroh made his way through the garden toward the sound and the voice, and came upon his 11 year old son, lying flat on his back by the turtleduck pond.

"Watching the clouds, my son?" said Iroh with a grin.

Lu Ten sat up. "No," he said sullenly. "I'm trying to practice Firebending, but it keep knocking me backwards! I can't do it!" The boy buried his face in his hands.

"You give up too easily, Lu Ten," said Iroh. Crouching down, he took hold of the boy's wrists and moved his hands away from his face. "If you fall off the komodo rhino six times, you get back on seven." He grasped his son's hand and helped the boy to his feet. "All you need is a few pointers in the right direction. Now, watch me."

Iroh planted his feet where he stood and breathed deeply. Easing expertly into the appropriate stance, the general drew back a fist and then brought it forward, punching the air and sending a fireball flying across the garden.

"Now you try," he said to Lu Ten.

The boy planted his feet and breathed, trying to exactly mimic his father's actions. He brought his fist forward, sending forth what was, though considerably smaller than the one Iroh had produced, unmistakably a fireball.

"I did it!" the boy exclaimed, jumping up and down.

"Very good," said Iroh with a twinkle in his eye. "Now," said he as he stroked his beard, "perhaps we should work on the spinning kick?"

Lu Ten groaned, his spirit sinking as quickly as it had raised.

"But I've never even been able to make fire with that move!" he protested.

"As the proverb says, my son, you can never succeed if you never attempt. Let's just give it a try."

Reluctantly, Lu Ten again took his place by his father's side. Iroh demonstrated the spinning kick, sending an arc of flame flying forth. Lu Ten, preparing himself for his imminent humiliation, copied the move, and he was very surprised to see his own arc of fire flying forward.

"I did it!" he cried. "I really did it!"

Iroh coughed.

Lu Ten turned to see his father's singed beard and soot-blackened face. He was missing an eyebrow.

"You did it, alright," said Iroh. "But I think you need more practice."

Author's Note: Sorry it's been so long since the last update. Anyhow, I wanted to do something short and funny where we got to see some more of Iroh and Lu Ten (honestly, I wish the show would've gone into it a bit more) and see the side of Iroh we all recognize and know and love. I had fun writing it. I hope you have fun reading it. Next chapter returns to the main plot. Thanks to everyone who has been reading, subscribing, favoriting, reviewing, etc. Be excellent to each other.


	9. In Which Our Story Continues

Chapter 9: In Which Our Story Continues

"Tell me again," said Iroh to the kappa, struggling to keep pace with his scaly guide as they clambered up a steep hill, "why we're going to see this Great T'Phon?"

The kappa stopped in its tracks, giving the breathless general a chance to catch up. "Will you hurry up? You're like a fat old man!" Iroh glared at the kappa as he finally caught up, clutching at a stitch in his side. "And you would know why we're going to see T'Phon if you had been listening earlier."

"There's a lot here to distract a man!" replied Iroh. "And what happened to you being so polite all the time? You've just been running me all over this cursed place like an Ostrich Horse. I don't even think you want to help me find Lu Ten!"

"I will forgive your hasty words, sir," said the kappa, "if you forgive mine. Now, sir, as I said before, we kappa possess vast knowledge. But even I am ignorant of where the spirits of the dead venture, and I have not left the river where you found me in a very long time. Great T'Phon will know. There is only one spirit older than he."

"Why don't we go to him, then?" said Iroh. "It seems that he would have a better chance of knowing."

The kappa shuddered. "Koh is not... the most sociable of spirits," he finally said. "No, no, sir. T'Phon is by far our safest bet. This way, sir."

Iroh continued his laborious ascent, the kappa remaining ahead. He marveled at how fast the little creature could move, but he supposed spirits were spirits and men were men and that was that. It was hard to climb the hill, for no grass or trees or anything else on it. It was nothing but grey stone. Eventually though, with much huffing and puffing, he made it to the top. The kappa had reached it long before him, and was impatiently tapping its foot.

"I congratulate you on finally reaching the top, sir," said the kappa in his sanctimonious tones. "Behold!" He pointed into the distance.

From this vantage point, Iroh could see that stretching out below them were several more large hills and small mountains, centered around one huge one, one of the biggest Iroh had seen in either of the worlds. Like the hill they stood on now, these mountains seemed to harbor vegetation at all. They were simply grey mounds of stone.

"This is where the Great T'Phon makes his home," said the kappa, his respectful tone seeming, for a change, sincere.

"On one of these mountains?" asked Iroh.

"Mountains, sir? What mountains?" said the kappa, scratching its head with a scaly hand. Before Iroh had a chance to reply, the kappa faced the mountains and cried out with a loud voice.

"Oh Great T'Phon!" intoned the kappa, as if reciting a ritual. "Two humble souls request your honorable presence! For without your great wisdom, we will surely perish as we wonder in the wilderness!"

_Surely this T'Phon won't be able to hear us from this distance, _thought Iroh, glancing at the huge mountain the kappa had said was the spirit's home. Still, something compelled him to remain silent.

Then, the earth shook.

"Great spirits!" Iroh swore as he nearly tumbled backwards off the hill.

"Precisely," said the kappa. His eyes were fixed in the direction of the mountain, and the general followed his gaze. He gasped as the reason for the shaking became apparent. The mountain was moving.

Iroh watched, awestruck, as the titanic hill stood up from the ground, moving with geographical slowness. Four legs unfolded with the speed of a tectonic plate, and then the mountain shook its broad back with all the swiftness of erosion. With each movement, there was another earthquake, and Iroh realized that, even when faced with the dragons, he had never been so afraid, so swallowed up in awe. Then he saw the mountain's fanlike ears and ivory tusks, and all was clear to him. There was no mountain at all, and there had never been one.

It had simply been the double vision that one had in the spirit world. Iroh blinked, and though he had no doubt that in the physical world the Great T'Phon was indeed a mountain of colossal proportions. But on this plane it was an animal, an animal bigger than any he had ever seen or would ever see. A Lion Turtle would've been knee high to this brute. Great T'Phon was an elephant; an elephant who had, until now, been sleeping.

T'Phon threw back his head and yawned, revealing the interior of a mouth that could hold one hundred men with room to spare. Then, he shook his head and called out in a voice as deep as a whale's heartbeat.

"You could have given me a little more time," he boomed. "I just laid down a few hundred years ago."

"My apologies, Lord T'Phon," cried the kappa. "But we were greatly in need of your assistance!"

"Hoom," boomed T'Phon. Iroh could feel the great elephant's voice vibrating the ground beneath his feet. "I know that voice... Sandy? Is that you, Sandy?"

Iroh looked at the kappa. "Sandy?" he mouthed. The kappa blushed, which was something to behold given his green skin.

"Yes, Lord T'Phon, it is I. How noble of you to remember such a lowly spirit as myself."

"An elephant," said T'Phon, "never forgets. Hoom. Hoom. Hoom." That sound resounded even lower than T'Phon's own voice, and Iroh realized that that sound must be the spirit's _laugh. _"Who's that you've got with you, Sandy?"

"His name, Lord, is Iroh. He has come to-"

"Oh blast it," interrupted T'Phon. "I can't bear all this shouting. Come closer and know me better, little men!"

Iroh looked at the great distance between them and T'Phon, then at the kappa.

"Lord," said Sandy, "It would seem that there is in fact a great deal of distance between us and you."

T'Phon's trunk swished back and forth. "So there is," said the spirit. "Hoom. Hoom. Well then, we'll have Xiàng carry you over. After all, you've been standing on his back this whole time. Hoom." There was a great rumble as the elephant cleared his throat. "Boys," he called. "Oh boys, it's time to wake up."

There was such a colossal shaking that Iroh was certain that the ground was bound to crack apart and he would be dropped screaming into a yawning abyss. Each of the mountains was now trembling in a manner identical to the way T'Phon had shook as he rose from the ground. Iroh understood that there were no mountains here at all, simply more members of Great T'Phon's very large (pardon the pun) family.

"Hold on to something!" cried Sandy as the elephant whose back they were perched on began to rise.

The shaking and rumbling continued for what may have been years or days or even mere minutes. Time was fluid in the spirit world, but it certainly seemed like a very long time to General Iroh. At last, the landscape was filled with gigantic spirit elephants, all shaking and trumpeting and treading slowly toward their father.

"They move a little quicker than I do," mused T'Phon. "Their mother was a cloud spirit." He turned to face the elephant carrying Iroh and Sandy. "Bring them here, Xiàng. Chop chop. Hoom."

Empires rose and fell as Xiàng moved to stand before his father.

"Now," boomed the great elephant. "What can I do for you?"

Sandy began to bow, then thought better of it. "This man," said he, indicating the general, "is called Iroh."

"A mortal," said T'Phon. "Hmm."

"Indeed, Lord. He has ventured into our domain in the hope of finding his son."

"Ahh," replied the elephant. "And do you have any idea where his son is?"

"No, Lord," said Sandy. "He's dead."

"Then he could be anywhere." T'Phon inclined his enormous head slightly and fixed him fathomless eyes on Iroh.

"Er, indeed, Lord T'Phon. We were hoping you could narrow it down for us. It is superfluous for me to say, Lord, but there is no spirit wiser than yourself"

"Hoom," boomed the elephant. "Superfluous, perhaps, but it certainly doesn't hurt to be reminded every now and again. Hoom. Hoom."

"Please help us, Lord. There is but one other spirit who may know, and we do not dare approach Koh the Face Stealer."

"No," said T'Phon gravely. "I would say not." He was silent for a long time. A new species was evolving somewhere. "Very well," he finally said. "But first, I have a few questions of my own." He beckoned to Iroh with his trunk. "Come here, little man."

Iroh hesitantly stepped forward onto Xiàng's head, then cried out as Great T'Phon wrapped his trunk around his waste and lifted him into the air. The elephant king held the Dragon of the West before his face. Iroh could feel T'Phon's breath like a blast of wind against him.

"Fear not, little man," said the elephant, surprisingly quietly. "I could've crushed you like a bug long before now. Hoom. Hoom. I have only a few questions."

Iroh relaxed. Slightly.

"Do you not think the dead should rest in peace? Has your son not earned a respite from the harshness and depravity of the physical world? Why do you come here, seeking to bring him back?"

Iroh did not meet T'Phon's eyes. "I seek only to be with my son, whether that is in life or here in this world. If he can return, we will return together. If he cannot, or will not, then I will stay here with him. Lu Ten may have found peace in death, but I can never find peace in a life without him in it. Think of your own sons. What if one of them died?"

"Time," said T'Phon, "is an illusion, and so is death. Even nature teaches us this. The very spirit of the planet is embodied in the Avatar, whose body may die a physical death. But the Avatar spirit is never dead. It dances through thousands of lives, through each of your four nations in turn. All of creation is a part of that dance, and nothing is ever really gone. I would rejoice for one of my sons if he were to take his next step in the dance of creation. You should do the same, Iroh. Rejoice for your son, and learn happiness again."

"Happiness?" cried Iroh. "How can I do that when my only joy has been taken from me? My country is not what I thought it was, my family cares nothing for me at all. Lu Ten was all I had!"

Iroh thought he would be blown away by the mighty rush of air caused by Great T'Phon's sigh. "Very well, little man," boomed the spirit. A note of sadness had creeped into his voice. He replaced the general on top of his son's head. The elephant king shifted his weigh on his feet slightly.

"The dead," boomed T'Phon, "are unlike the other spirits in this realm, who are tied to an aspect of the physical world, which is also tied to them. The spirits of the dead may go wherever they wish after they arrive here. But most are eventually drawn to one place." He paused and cleared his throat. "The center. Mount Sumeru

"Mount Sumeru is the tallest mountain in creation, larger even than myself. But Sumeru is not a spirit. It is utterly itself, with many levels. The dead are always climbing it, for at the top lies their final fate."

"And what is that?" asked Iroh quietly.

"Hmmm?" said T'Phon. "I don't know. I've never climbed Mount Sumeru. I'm too slow and I'm not dead. Hoom. Hoom."

"Where can we find this mountain, Lord T'Phon?" asked Sandy.

"You must head West, through mountains who are not my children and valleys that are not my nieces. Strange lands filled with strange spirits. Eventually, you will come to the Sumeru foothills, and beyond them lies the mountain itself.

"But beware. For in those foothills lives the Red Oni of the Hills, a terrible giant who preys upon travelers. Avoid him at all costs, for you would stand little chance of besting him in a fight.

"There will be other obstacles, I'm sure. I wish you luck, General Iroh. I hope you find what you're looking for. Shall I have one of my boys give you a lift?"

Iroh and Sandy looked at each other as they considered the glacial speed of Great T'Phon and his family.

"That's not necessary, Lord T'Phon," said Sandy.

The elephant king laughed. "Very well." Taking them both in his trunk, he lowered them gently to the ground. "Now I think I'll go back to sleep. I could use forty years."


	10. What Dreams May Come, or The Travelers

Author's Note: This chapter was previously two chapters, which I have deleted and condensed as I make an effort to finally finish this story.

Chapter 10: What Dreams May Come. The Travelers.

Iroh sat on the ground across from Sandy, picking bones out of a small fish the kappa had caught. A campfire blazed.

"You know, sir," said Sandy, "I'm not certain you need to eat in this world. Or, for that matter, sleep. There was no need for us to make camp. I'm not certain it's even really night."

Iroh stared into the fire.

"I suppose you didn't hear me, sir," said Sandy after a moment. "I said-"

"I hope you find what you're looking for," said Iroh slowly.

"I beg your pardon, sir?"

"T'Phon said, 'I hope you find what you're look for.' Why not 'who you're looking for?' Or, 'I hope you find your son?'"

"I'm sure I don't know, sir. Perhaps he simply misspoke?"

"Perhaps," said the general, and yawned. "I'm tired. I should turn in."

"I doubt you need to sleep. I never have."

Under more familiar circumstances, Iroh would have expressed his astonishment at this claim. But if the spirit world taught a person anything, it was to take strange new facts in strid. He yawned again.

"Whether or not I need to," said the general, "I want to."

And so, after clearing a space on the ground, Iroh lay down and drifted from the spirit world into the dream world.

* * *

><p><em>To sleep... Perchance to dream...<em>

In the days of old and in the time before time, throughout the world, dreams have been though of as windows into another realm. Those who lived in ancient times often believed that while they slept, they were allowed glimpses into the spirit world.

But what would a man see if he was already in the spirit world? What dreams may come?

Iroh stood in the midst of a vast, featureless plane. A thick fog rose continually from the ground. All around him, he heard voices, whispering.

"H-hello?" Iroh called. "Is anyone here?" His voice echoed around him. The voices did not cease their whispering.

"I know you're there!" said the general, taking a few hesitant steps forward. "I can hear you!"

The voices became louder. He could now just barely make out parts of words. Iroh looked all around him, still seeing no one. Then, he cried aloud as he felt hot breath on the back of his neck. Startled, he took another step forward and tripped. As he lay on the grey ground, the fog began to form into unwelcome and familiar shapes.

He saw the faces of all his men who had died during the siege of Ba Sing Se, the faces of all the Earthbenders he had slain on that terrible day, and then the horrible glaring face of his brother Ozai. But worst of all to behold in that featureless plane his dreams had transported him to was the face of his beloved Lu Ten, an expression of such anger and disappointment on his face that the pain it cause Iroh was nearly physical.

The figures began to advance on Iroh.

"No!" cried the general as the apparitions edged closer. "It wasn't my fault!" They were nearly upon him now. "It wasn't me fault!" he cried again and again, even as they swarmed him, even as he vanished beneath their shadowy forms.

* * *

><p>"It wasn't my fault!" cried Iroh one last time as the last fragments of the dream melted away. He opened his eyes and saw the kappa standing over him, shaking him.<p>

"Finally you're awake, sir!" exclaimed Sandy, his usual unctuous tones peppered with a hint of urgency. "I was quite worried! Are you alright?"

"Fine, fine," said Iroh quietly, sitting up. "I just had a nightmare."

"A what?"

"I'll tell you later."

"Whatever you think is best, sir," said Sandy. "I must admit though, as alarming as your sleeptime behavior was, it was not my main reasoning in waking you."

"Oh?" said Iroh, as he rose to his feet and stretched. "Then what was?"

"That," said the kappa, pointing at the red lights that approached them through the fog.

Iroh instinctively dropped into a firebending stance, then swore in frustration as he remembered that, in the spirit world, he was unable to bend, leaving him a sitting turtle-duck before this new horror the spirit world had offered him. Both the general and the kappa were paralyzed with fright as the red lights moved closer through the fog. Iroh's thoughts raced. Had his nightmares become flesh? Had the faces of the dead pursued him to the land of the waking? He almost cried aloud as a voice spoke to him from the fog, convinced it would be the voice of his son, shaming him, but he soon realized the voice was a woman's.

"Peace, General Iroh," said the unseen woman. "We mean you no harm." She stepped forward out of the fog, and Iroh realized that the red lights came from the lanterns held by the woman and the dozen or so people behind her, who were, seemingly, the most human residents of the spirit world he had yet met. In fact, they appeared entirely human. There was no double vision, no fey demeanor, to suggest these travelers the woman guided were anything more than they appeared to be. They were clad in the white robes of pilgrims, though their guide was dressed in saffron robes and wore prayer beads around her neck. She had long, dark hair, but it had been shaved away from the front of her head, where a blue arrow was tattooed. She was –

"An airbender!" Iroh exclaimed.

"Greetings, fellow travelers," said the woman, eyeing Iroh and Sandy solemnly. "I am Avatar Yangchen."

Iroh struggled to find words, and failed. All he could think of was the Air Nomad genocide committed by his grandfather in his mad quest for power. "I – I-" he began, but the Avatar silenced him with a look.

"Your grandfather's actions are not yours, General Iroh," said Yangchen, as if reading his mind. She looked over her shoulder at the group she was leading. "Avatar Roku said we might run into you." She faced Iroh again. "The nature of our journeys is not dissimilar."

"What is your destination, my lady?" asked Sandy, rubbing his webbed hands together.

"Why, Mount Sumeru, of course," said Yangchen. She indicated the pilgrims that stood behind her. "These are all souls who have had their fill of the more wild aspect of the spirit world and have decided to seek a more perfect enlightenment by climbing the Mountain."

"You mean they're – dead?" cried Iroh.

"Death is only an illusion," the Avatar replied, but the general scarcely heard her. He had ran into the small crowd behind Yangchen, seizing pilgrims by the front of their robes.

"Have you seen my son?" he cried, turning quickly from an old, old man to face a girl that looked barely 8 years old. "My son, Lu Ten! Have you seen him?" He cast his eyes upon a young man. "Where is he?" he demanded, hysterical. He collapsed to his knees, asking the assembled dead over and over again where his son might be. He felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Peace, Iroh," said Yangchen. "None of these has seen your son, nor have I, but another company of spirits we met earlier has spotted him. He too has gone to the Mountain, but he went alone."

"I have to go to him!" said Iroh.

"You're welcome to travel with us," said one of the white robed pilgrims, an old man. "We're all looking for something. Maybe we can help you find what you're looking for."


	11. Storm and Stress

Author's Note: Local authorities have issued a weirdness advisory for this chapter. This previously existed in a shorter form as chapter 12. I'm anticipating about 2 or 3 more chapters for this.

Chapter 11: Storm and Stress, or Perplexing the Perplexed

It was strange, at least to Iroh, that Avatar Yangchen should choose such a way to spend her afterlife; leading ghosts to the geographical oddity that was their Final Reward. But, then again, perhaps it was not so strange; all airbenders were, history recorded, monastics. After a life devoted to the spiritual path, why not an afterlife? He glanced briefly at the pilgrims trouped around him, then turned to his scaly companion.

"What do you suppose Mt. Sumeru is like, Sandy?" asked Iroh.

"It matters very little to me, sir," said the kappa as he bobbed along after Yangchen. "Very few spirits who were never citizens of the physical world make the climb. We are content to –"

The kappa tripped on an upraised tree root. He landed roughly, sprawled immobile on the ground, the water pouring out of the hollow in his head. A plump ghost, chortling, scooped a handful of water from a nearby stream and refilled the kappa's hollow head. Sandy righted himself, swearing loudly, in sharp contrast to his usual courtly demeanor. He looked up to find all their eyes on him, one ghost with his hands over the ears of the little girl. "Excuse my Water Tribe," he muttered sheepishly, rejoining the group as they pressed on.

The terrain they trekked over was strange, even for the spirit word. It seemed more unpredictable, chaotic. They seemed to get turned around or blown off course quite frequently, yet when the sun set in the evening (the general never could figure out the way time worked in the spirit world, if there were any rules it followed at all), they were still traveling west. Avatar Yangchen seemed to know where she was going, even if none of the others did. Iroh was glad they had run into the group of pilgrims, for, though the kappa would never have admitted it, he wasn't sure that Sandy would've been able to stay on course

Most of the party chatted merrily as they walked along. Everyone had long since given up on engaging Iroh in conversation after being met solely with one word replies. There was a faraway look in his eyes. He thought only of Lu Ten, and this mysterious Mount Sumeru, and how long the journey would take.

Still, he could not help feeling a pang of loneliness as the other members of the party chatted freely among themselves. Even Sandy was roaring with laughter as one of the younger souls told him a joke.

"And then the earthbender says, 'Turtleducks? I thought you said turtlef-'"

But, alas, the final syllable of that punch line was lost forever, for at that moment, a huge clap of thunder resounded across the countryside and the sky suddenly grew very dark. A bolt of lightning struck inches from the party. A driving rain began to pour from the dark clouds.

"How did this storm come upon us so quickly?" cried Iroh.

"This is no ordinary storm!" replied Sandy, running with the other members of the party, who were being led into the shelter of a nearby tree by Yangchen. Iroh followed suit. The tree was twisted and gnarled, and provided little cover from the driving rain. Still, it was better than nothing.

Iroh eyed the kappa, who was mumbling to himself while rubbing his hands together, and staring anxiously into the black clouds that had so quickly overtaken them. Suddenly, the kappa and several of the pilgrims cried aloud with surprise.

The dark clouds were descending, closer and closer to the ground, and as they lowered, they changed. There were more flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder as the dark clouds rolled and heaved like a storm tossed sea, until at last, a giant stood in the sky, laughing heartily as the wind whipped around him and the rain continued to pour down.

His skin was a rich, blue-black color, his long hair and beard as grey as the storm clouds had been. His eyes were as white as the lightning, wide and pupil-less. In one gargantuan hand he held a long, white spear. With a tremendous shout, he hurled it toward where the pilgrims stood huddled beneath the twisted tree. Iroh had a moment of double vision as the spear unmistakably became a bolt of lightning. It struck a few feet from them. Several of the pilgrims yelped with fright, and the little girl now began to cry. The giant's booming laugh echoed across the sky. Another spear appeared in his hand, and he drew back his arm…

Avatar Yangchen stepped in front of the giant, into the path of the spear. The giant stopped laughing and considered her, letting his spear-arm drop back to his side.

"Avatar Yangchen!" boomed the giant, surprised. He made an awkward attempt at a foppish bow. "Beggin' yer pardon m'lady, I didn' see yeh and yer party." He gestured toward Iroh and the terrified pilgrims. "Beggin' yer pardon," he said again. "I'm afraid I can' stop this, though," he said, holding his arms out on either side of him to indicate the vicious wind and rain. "I'm in the middle o' a bit o' a competition, y'see. But if ya get your lot out from under that old bat-monkey, yeh can go on. It's her I'm after."

Iroh was utterly confused. Old bat-monkey? Her? Who was the giant talking about?

Yangchen, whoever, showed no signs of confusion at all. She merely nodded.

Yes, yes, of course," she said, as if everything were perfectly clear now. "Though I do think you should be more careful in the future. Your petty squabbles may get someone hurt some day." She beckoned to the group, who were only too glad to scurry out from under the tree the storm giant had apparently designated for target practice. The last pilgrim had barely made it out from under it when the enormous man once again chucked his spear. This time it struck home, and Iroh had another dizzying experience of double vision.

The tree they had been standing under was simultaneously a tree and an ancient lady, stooped and bent with age but huge, just as tall as the storm giant who had hurled his lightning spear at her. Her skin was as brown as bark, and her leaf-green hair hung over her shoulders like moss. A mischievous grin broke out across her woody features as she uprooted herself, cackling as she shuffled, slightly clumsily, toward the storm giant, waving her limbs mockingly.

"Come," said Avatar Yangchen to the party. "We have a long way to go. Sumeru awaits!"

Iroh was lost in thought as the pilgrims walked further and further from the storm. He had never even considered that the forces that shaped the world might be so hostile. Skirting around some of the ghosts, he approached Yangchen at the front of the group.

"Avatar Yangchen?" said Iroh.

"Yes, General?"

"There seems to be so much conflict in the spirit world. The dragons I first saw when I came here are locked in an eternal struggle. That storm spirit and the tree-woman are but another example…" Iroh threw his hands in the air. "They seemed even to enjoy it… I don't understand!"

Yangchen smiled, ever so slightly.

"It is true," she said, "that there is a great deal of conflict in this plane. Those dragons and the feud between the storm spirit and the tree spirits are examples to us of the struggle of opposites. But the struggle between opposites is a necessary prerequisite to their reconciliation, and so, these are the forces that give motion and shape to the world: the struggle between opposites and their reconciliation. Two very different things become one magnificent new whole. This new whole in turn contains the seeds of conflict within it. And so the cycle is repeated." As she spoke she traced a spiral in the air with her right hand, narrow where it started and broad where she finished it. "The spirit world is by definition part of a struggle. The spirits cannot exist without their natural correspondents, but the natural forms, in turn, are sustained by the spirits they are connected with."

Iroh frowned as he attempted to parse what the Avatar had just told him.

"Then," he said at length, "which comes first, matter or spirit?"

Yangchen laughed, a strangely beautiful sound, in sharp contrast to her typically stern exterior. She took a lantern from one of the ghosts and held it up in front of the general.

"When you light a lantern," she said, "which comes first, the light or the flame?"

As Iroh pondered this, the sun appeared suddenly in the sky, just in time for it to begin sinking below the horizon. Sunset was a strange thing in the spirit world; as the chaotic landscape was bathed in the golden half-light, the double vision extended to everything. Hills were rhinos and elephants and oxen, snoring away their tectonic slumber and occasionally shaking their broad backs with a rumble. Trees were beautiful brown-skinned men and women, beautiful flowing manes of forest green adorning their scalps, like the plumage of some bizarre yet beautiful bird. The ever-present animals were revealed to be, in many cases, people, or at least some similitude of people; some monstrous and wicked-looking, others incredibly beautiful. The only ones who stayed the same were the ghosts; they were utterly themselves. And so gazing through the ruddy twilight of the spirit world, Iroh saw both the conflict and the reconciliation that shaped the world.


End file.
